St. Lucie County fire (June 24, 2011)

PORT ST. LUCIE - St. Lucie County firefighter Kyle Richard takes aim with a firehose at the flames from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday. The St. Lucie County Fire Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department and a St. Lucie County Sheriff's helicopter moved quickly to evacuate residents from nearby homes as the heavy smoke and flames approached.

PORT ST. LUCIE - Flames devour palmetto bushes after consuming taller pines as the St. Lucie County Department responded to a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday. The St. Lucie County Fire Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department and a St. Lucie County Sheriff's helicopter moved quickly to evacuate residents from nearby homes as the heavy smoke and flames approached.

PORT ST. LUCIE - A St. Lucie County firefighter loads his brush truck tank with foam as flames from a brush fire glow behind homes in the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday. The St. Lucie County Fire Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department and a St. Lucie County Sheriff's helicopter moved quickly to evacuate residents from nearby homes as the heavy smoke and flames approached.

PORT ST. LUCIE - St. Lucie County firefighters stand in the smoke off Coastal Terrace and SW Ann Arbor Road as the flames from a brush fire approach homes behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday. The St. Lucie County Fire Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department and a St. Lucie County Sheriff's helicopter moved quickly to evacuate residents from nearby homes as the heavy smoke and flames approached.

PORT ST. LUCIE - St. Lucie County Firefighters protect homes across a dried canal from upcoming flames from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday. The St. Lucie County Fire Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department and a St. Lucie County Sheriff's helicopter moved quickly to evacuate residents from nearby homes as the heavy smoke and flames approached.

PORT ST. LUCIE - St. Lucie County firefighter Kyle Richard takes aim with a firehose at the flames from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday. The St. Lucie County Fire Department, Port St. Lucie Police Department and a St. Lucie County Sheriff's helicopter moved quickly to evacuate residents from nearby homes as the heavy smoke and flames approached.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Provided by Matthew Denig

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Provided by Matthew Denig

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Provided by Matthew Denig

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Provided by Matthew Denig

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Provided by Matthew Denig

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Provided by Matthew Denig

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

St. Lucie County firefighters get a helping hand from retired Pennington, NJ firefighter Alan Shepard while his wife Mary Ann Shepard looks on. The fire on the 2900 block of Bella Road was started by lightning striking dry brush at about 2:15 p.m.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road. This is the fire as seen from Bevil Avenue, approximately 1/4 to 1/2 mile away.

Provided by Donna Babcock

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Provided by Donna Babcock

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road. This is the fire, as seen from Floresta and Port St. Lucie Boulevard.

Provided by Katy Lewey

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Provided by Amber Vargo

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

A lightning strike in the Southbend area of Port St. Lucie started a house and brush fire near Luck Lane and Bella Road.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.

Images from a brush fire behind the 3000 block of SW Ann Arbor Road in Port St. Lucie on Friday.